Lens apparatus

Abstract

A lens apparatus includes a holding barrel configured to hold a lens, an operation member, an exterior barrel configured to hold the operation member rotatably around an optical axis, and a fixed barrel. When the holding barrel and the exterior barrel move in an optical axis direction relative to the fixed barrel, an imaging state and a retracted state are switchable. When the operation member is rotated in one direction in each of the imaging and retracted states, the operation member gets engaged with the fixed barrel and the state gets locked. When the operation member is rotated in the other direction around the optical axis, the operation member gets disengaged from the fixed barrel, and the imaging state or the retracted state gets unlocked and switchable.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A lens apparatus comprising:
 a holding barrel configured to hold a lens; 
 an operation member; 
 an exterior barrel configured to hold the operation member rotatably around an optical axis; and 
 a fixed barrel, 
 wherein the holding barrel is integrally fixed to the exterior barrel, and when the holding barrel and the exterior barrel move in an optical axis direction relative to the fixed barrel, an imaging state and a retracted state in which an overall length is shorter than that of the imaging state are switchable, 
 wherein when the operation member is rotated in one direction around the optical axis in the imaging state, the operation member gets engaged with the fixed barrel and the imaging state gets locked, 
 wherein when the operation member is rotated in the one direction around the optical axis in the retracted state, the operation member gets engaged with the fixed barrel and the retracted state gets locked, and 
 wherein when the operation member is rotated in the other direction around the optical axis, the operation member gets disengaged from the fixed barrel, and the imaging state or the retracted state gets unlocked and switchable. 
 
     
     
       2. The lens apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein an engagement portion between the operation member and the fixed barrel in the imaging state is different from an engagement portion between the operation member and the fixed barrel in the retracted state. 
     
     
       3. The lens apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the operation member includes a first contact portion and a connector,
 wherein the fixed barrel includes a second contact portion and a first groove portion, 
 wherein when the operation member is rotated in the one direction in the imaging state, the first contact portion and the second contact portion come into contact with each other and the imaging state gets locked, and 
 wherein when the operation member is rotated in the one direction in the retracted state, the connector gets engaged with the first groove portion and the retracted state gets locked. 
 
     
     
       4. The lens apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the first contact portion and the first groove portion are formed so as to be covered by the exterior barrel in the imaging state. 
     
     
       5. The lens apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the holding barrel includes a cam follower,
 wherein the operation member includes a first contact portion, 
 wherein the fixed barrel includes a second contact portion and a third contact portion, and 
 wherein when the cam follower and the third contact portion come into contact with each other in the imaging state and the operation member is rotated in the one direction, the operation member gets engaged with the fixed barrel and the imaging state gets locked. 
 
     
     
       6. The lens apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first contact portion and the second contact portion tilts to a plane orthogonal to the optical axis. 
     
     
       7. The lens apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the holding barrel includes a cam follower,
 wherein the fixed barrel includes a fourth contact portion and a third contact portion, and 
 wherein when the cam follower and the fourth contact portion come into contact with each other in the retracted state. 
 
     
     
       8. The lens apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the operation member includes a connector,
 wherein the fixed barrel includes a first groove portion and a second groove portion, 
 wherein when the operation member is rotated in the one direction in the imaging state, the connector gets engaged with the second groove portion and the imaging state gets locked, and 
 wherein when the operation member is rotated in the retracted state, the connector gets engaged with the first groove portion and the retracted state gets locked. 
 
     
     
       9. The lens apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the operation member and the exterior barrel includes a contact member and a biasing member,
 wherein the other of the operation member and the exterior barrel includes a first click groove portion and a second click groove portion, 
 wherein when the operation member is rotated in the one direction, the contact member gets engaged with the first click groove portion while the imaging state or the retracted state is locked, and 
 wherein when the operation member is rotated in the other direction, the contact member gets engaged with the second click groove portion while the imaging state or the retracted state is unlocked. 
 
     
     
       10. The lens apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the connector and the second groove portion tilts to a plane orthogonal to the optical axis. 
     
     
       11. The lens apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the operation member is disposed closest to an image plane in the exterior barrel. 
     
     
       12. The lens apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the lens apparatus is detachably or integrally attached to an image pickup apparatus.